Hit the road in March to enjoy wildflower season around the state.
Ranch Roads 335, 336, and 337 outside of Leakey in the western Hill Country provide an exciting ride on two wheels or four. (Photo by Gerald E. McLeod)
One wild ride. The Texas Hill Country, roughly defined as the area west of Austin, north of Uvalde, south of Brady, and east of Rocksprings, has a deserved reputation for its unique beauty and scenic highways. The spring wildflower season explodes along the roadways from March through June.
Exploring the backroads will turn up eclectic art displays at ranchers’ gates, fields of bluebonnets, and scenic views. West of Kerrville the roads buck and twist like a rodeo bronco.
Known as the Twisted Sisters, three ranch-to-market roads outside of Leakey (pronounced “Lake-y” by the locals) are recognized as one of the best rides in Texas by motorcyclists, but the roads are good in a car too (preferably a convertible).
The 100-mile loop using Ranch Roads 335, 336, and 337 can easily take four hours or more to complete as you maneuver the hairpin turns, dogleg lefts, and tight U-turns. Take your time and enjoy the scenery. One 15-mile stretch alone has approximately 65 curves. The limestone cliffs come right down to the two-lane blacktop that disappears around a bend. Cell phone service is almost nonexistent out here, so this is no place to have car trouble.
If you want to get a taste of the Twisted Sisters without the time commitment, drive the 37 miles of RR337 between Medina and Leakey. The scenic road has a full complement of climbs, dips, twists, and turns.
Travel Notes:
Clang-clang goes the trolley. Take a trolley tour of Victoria in celebration of the city’s 200th anniversary. The once-a-month tours begin with a walk through the 1892 Victoria County Courthouse before you board a replica of an old-fashioned trolley for a ride through the historic district. Onboard docents share stories and insights along the way. The next tour happens on Saturday, March 9, and ends with lunch at the historic PumpHouse Riverside Restaurant and Bar. Tickets are $35, or you can take the free self-guided “Old Victoria Driving Tour.”
Several parks in the area like Muleshoe Bend Recreation Area are known for their fields of bluebonnets. (Photo courtesy LCRA Parks)
Wildflower reports. The height of wildflower season in Texas ranges from March to May, but a lot depends on the weather. This could be a banner year for the buds. For a real-time look at where the blooms are, try these websites:
The total solar eclipse will cross Texas beginning around 1:30pm CDT. (Illustration courtesy NASA)
Lights out. If you haven’t made reservations for being at a memorable place for the Total Solar Eclipse on Monday, April 8, you’d best be getting with it. Spots are going fast, and tourism folks are predicting massive crowds. Texas being in the totality zone of two eclipses within eight months is pretty cool. If you missed the annular eclipse in October, you’ll want to be preparing for bragging rights for the solar eclipse now. First, and most important, get a pair of eclipse viewers. The inexpensive paper filter glasses are essential. The moon will start to block the sun just after noon, and totality will begin at 1:30pm CDT near Eagle Pass and move northeast across the state. Totality will last from a few seconds to about 4.5 minutes depending on where you are in relation to the path. Austin, on the southern edge of the approximately 100-mile wide path, will experience about 1 minute and 46 seconds of the total solar eclipse at 1:36pm CDT. The center of the path with the longest totality times will cross close to Kerrville, Fredericksburg, Llano, Gatesville, Waco, Terrell, Sulphur Springs, and Clarksville. The next total solar eclipse that can be seen in the contiguous U.S. will happen on Aug. 23, 2044.
Make your reservations to sail on the tall ship Elissa out of Galveston in April. (Photo by Gerald E. McLeod)
Welcome Aboard! Join a one-of-a-kind outdoor adventure aboard the 1877 Iron Barque ELISSA. This year the Official Tall Ship of Texas returns to the waters of the Gulf of Mexico for her annual day sail series, April 5-19. As one of the oldest and longest continuously sailed vessels in the world, the annual day sails keep her where she works best, with her sails unfurled, sailing in the Gulf waters. Tickets begin at $300, but the experience is priceless.
Other March Events:
Jump to a region: Big Bend | Gulf Coast | Hill Country | Panhandle | Piney Woods | Prairies & Lakes | South Texas
BIG BEND
Take a tour of Seminole Canyon State Park and the surrounding area to see some of the best rock art sites in the world. (Photo by Gerald E. McLeod)
Shumla Treks to Rock Art Sites
March 17, 23, 24, Comstock, shumla.org/shumlatreks
GULF COAST
Sea Turtle Saturday
March 2, Galveston, www.galvestonnaturetourism.org/event-sea-turtle-saturday
Fulton Oysterfest
March 7-10, Rockport, fultonoysterfest.org
Bicentennial Old Victoria Trolley Tours
March 9, Victoria, www.explorevictoriatexas.com
St. Patrick’s Day Parade
March 16, Surfside Beach, www.beachblarney.com
Buffalo Bayou Partnership Regatta
March 23, Houston, buffalobayou.org
Brew on the Bayou
March 23, Lake Jackson, www.gcbo.org
Bayou City Art Festival
March 23-24, Houston, www.bayoucityartfestival.com
HILL COUNTRY
Established in 1851, Fort McKavett saw duty as a frontier fort and was restored beginning in 1961. (Photo by Gerald E. McLeod)
Fort McKavett State Historic Site Archeology Exhibit
March 1-31, Fort McKavett, www.thc.texas.gov/historic-sites/fort-mckavett
SXSW Film, Music & Interactive Conference and Festival
March 8-16, Austin, www.sxsw.com
Rodeo Austin
March 8-23, Austin, www.rodeoaustin.com
Folkfest Second Saturday
March 9, New Braunfels, www.texashandmadefurniture.com
Art Squared Art Market
March 11, San Marcos, www.artsquaredmarket.com
Spring Break Living History Week
March 11-16, Fredericksburg, www.pioneermuseum.org
Texas Country Music Festival
March 14-23, Brady, hillbillyhits.com
Llano River Chuckwagon Cook-off
March 15-16, Llano, www.llanochuckwagoncookoff.com
Wildflower Celebration
March 15-April 30, Fredericksburg, www.wildseedfarms.com
Enjoy the music and fun around the old store in Luckenbach. (Photo by Gerald E. McLeod)
Market Days
March 16, Blanco, www.historicblanco.org/market-day
Spring Equinox Concert in the Cave
March 16, Boerne, www.cavewithoutaname.com
Historic Gillespie County Schools Open House
March 9, 30, Fredericksburg, historicschools.org
Mud Dauber Festival and Chili Cook-off
March 16, Luckenbach, www.luckenbachtexas.com
Windsync Woodwind Quintet in Concert
March 17, Fredericksburg, www.fredericksburgmusicclub.com
Dripping Springs Brewers Festival
March 23, Dripping Springs, www.destinationdrippingsprings.com
Hill Country Indian Artifact Show
March 23, Fredericksburg, hillcountryindianartifacts.com
Dinosaur Day
March 23, New Braunfels, www.theheritagemuseum.com
Doeppenschmidt-Weidner Ranch Tour
March 23, Spring Branch, tpwd.texas.gov
God bless the grapes and good things that come from them. (Photo by Gerald E. McLeod)
Blessing of the Vines: An Estate Celebration
March 24, Stonewall, www.visit.kuhlmancellars.com/blessing-vines
Wine and Wildflower Journey
March 25-April 19, Hill Country, texashillcountrywineries.org
Fiddle Fest
March 30-31, Llano, www.llanofiddlefest.com
PANHANDLE
Outlaws and Legends Music Festival
March 29-30, Abilene, outlawsandlegends.com
PINEY WOODS
East Texas celebrates the dogwood blooms. (Photo by Gerald E. McLeod)
Old-time Music and Dulcimer Festival
March 21-23, Palestine, oldpalmusic.com
Herb Festival
March 23, Huntsville, www.texasthymeunit.org
Stained Glass Tours
March 23, 30, Palestine, www.visitpalestine.com
Texas Dogwood Trails Celebration
March 22-April 7, Palestine, www.visitpalestine.com
PRAIRIES & LAKES
Lake Bastrop 60th Birthday
March 2, Bastrop, tpwd.texas.gov
Return to the days of kings and queens at Sherwood Forest Faire.
Sherwood Forest Faire
March 2-April 21, McDade, www.sherwoodforestfaire.com
The Farm Street Opry in Concert
March 7-June 6, Bastrop, www.farmstreetopry.com
Texas Steel Guitar Jamboree
March 7-10, Irving, texassteelguitar.org/jam.html
Texas Ranger Day
March 9, Burton, www.burtonheritagesociety.org/celebrate
Spring Festival and Native Plant Sale
March 9, Lockhart, tpwd.texas.gov
Rajun’ Cajun Throwdown
March 9, Luling, www.lulingmainstreet.com/RajunCajun.php
Spring Antiques Show
March 14-31, Round Top, www.exploreroundtop.com
Texas Pinball Festival
March 15-17, Frisco, texaspinball.com/tpf
St. Patrick’s Day Bash
March 17, Seguin, www.johnnypicklesdistillery.com
Dallas Arboretum Food and Wine Festival
March 21, Dallas, www.dallasarboretum.org
Behold the People: R.C. Hickman’s Photographs of Black Dallas, 1949–1961
March 29-May18, Irving, www.irvingartscenter.com
SOUTH TEXAS
Return of the Travis Letter to the Alamo
March1-24, San Antonio, www.thealamo.org/visit/return-of-the-travis-letter
Southwest Experience
March 2, Hebbronville, www.eventbrite.com/e/southwest-experience-tickets-693285053257
Anhalt Cajun Festival
March 16, Spring Branch, anhalthall.com
Gerald McLeod has been traveling around Texas and beyond for his “Day Trips” column for more than 25 years. Keep up to date with his journeys on his archive page and follow him on Facebook.
This post was originally published on 3rd party site mentioned in the title of this site
